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Process to remove product alcohol from a fermentation by vaporization under vacuum

a technology of product alcohol and vacuum, which is applied in the direction of separation process, separation machine, climate sustainability, etc., can solve the problems of increasing the cost and reducing the efficiency of the cooling medium

Active Publication Date: 2012-02-09
GEVO INC
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

While it may be possible to limit sugar loadings to a level whereby batch fermentation does not require operation at a butanol concentration above the tolerance level, this approach has disadvantages because limited sugar loadings result in dilute solutions that are themselves economically undesirable to process.
However, the method described in Roffler necessitates further processing of the resulting vapor stream.
In many geographic areas, it is not possible to guarantee cooling to be available or practical at the temperature at which heat needs to be removed from the vapor stream.
Providing chilled water to the heat exchanger by which condensation is carried out significantly increases the cost of the cooling medium.
An alternative would be to compress the vapor stream to a higher pressure to allow the condensation to be done against cooling water year round, but this too entails significant cost because of the low density of the initial vapor passing to the machine.
Processes described which use lithium bromide for absorption of ethanol and water vapors may not be adequate for absorbing carbon dioxide or higher alcohols of a vapor stream.

Method used

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  • Process to remove product alcohol from a fermentation by vaporization under vacuum
  • Process to remove product alcohol from a fermentation by vaporization under vacuum
  • Process to remove product alcohol from a fermentation by vaporization under vacuum

Examples

Experimental program
Comparison scheme
Effect test

example 1

Absorption Liquid MEA

[0108]The pressure composition relationship at a known temperature was measured with the described apparatus 200 as follows:

[0109]51.967 grams of a mixture of 6.99% isobutanol, 20.01% deionized water and 72.99% MEA were charged to static cell 700 and magnetically driven mixer 720 was started. The cell operating temperature was 44.42° C. and the liquid charge was 51.967 grams. The liquid mixture was degassed slowly by opening valve 716 connected to vacuum pump 717 until the cell pressure did not drop further. Valve 716 was then closed. The degas procedure was repeated until the cell pressure did not change with time when valve 716 to vacuum pump 717 was closed. The absence of leaks was verified by observing constant, below atmospheric pressure, in static cell 700 for at least 10 minutes. Cell 700 was heated to a targeted temperature with bath 702.

[0110]A measured volume of carbon dioxide at known pressure and temperature was introduced to cell 700 and the cell co...

example 2

Absorption Liquid MEA

[0111]The procedures of Example 1 were repeated except the cell operating temperature was 44.46° C., the liquid composition was 7.24% Isobutanol, 20.57% water, 72.2% Monoethanolamine and the liquid charge was 49.925 grams. Results are given in Table 3.

TABLE 3Effect of MEA on vapor pressureGrams of CO2 added to cellVapor pressure in cell - psia00.6840.07390.6940.15770.7050.27980.7160.41210.7240.53620.7340.66570.7420.81860.7520.96790.7611.15210.772

example 3

Absorption Liquid MDEA

[0112]The procedures of Example 1 were repeated except the cell operating temperature was 44.45° C., the liquid composition was 4.99% Isobutanol, 12.01% water, and 83% methyldiethanolamine, and the liquid charge was 52.087 grams. Results are given in Table 4.

TABLE 4Effect of MDEA on vapor pressureGrams of CO2 added to cellVapor pressure in cell - psia00.6540.08330.9900.16781.50.30012.4280.39663.1530.50093.970.60584.8120.70585.6430.81646.5790.92207.501

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PUM

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Abstract

A fermentation liquid feed including water and a product alcohol and optionally CO2 is at least partially vaporized such that a vapor stream is produced. The vapor stream is contacted with an absorption liquid under suitable conditions wherein an amount of the product alcohol is absorbed. The portion of the vapor stream that is absorbed can include an amount of each of the water, the product alcohol and optionally the CO2. The temperature at the onset of the absorption of the vapor stream into the absorption liquid can be greater than the temperature at the onset of condensation of the vapor stream in the absence of the absorption liquid. The product alcohol can be separated from the absorption liquid whereby the absorption liquid is regenerated. The absorption liquid can include a water soluble organic molecule such as an amine.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61 / 427,896, filed Dec. 29, 2010, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 61 / 302,695, filed Feb. 9, 2010, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated in their entirety herein by reference thereto.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The present invention relates to processes to remove butanol and other C2 to C8 alcohols from a fermentation broth employing vacuum vaporization.BACKGROUND[0003]Currently, much industrial fermentation involves the manufacture of ethanol for either chemical or fuels use. For use in fuel, butanol has advantages as compared to ethanol, namely butanol has a lower vapor pressure and decreased solubility in water.[0004]An advantageous butanol fermentation process would encompass a complete, or substantially complete, conversion of sugars to butanol without reaching a butanol titer above a threshold of butanol tolerance that causes the rate of butanol pr...

Claims

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Application Information

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Patent Type & Authority Applications(United States)
IPC IPC(8): C07C31/12B01D3/10B01D3/34
CPCB01D3/002B01D53/1475B01D53/1487B01D2251/306B01D2251/606B01D2252/2025B01D2252/20484B01D2252/20489B01D2257/504B01D2257/704B01D2257/708B01D2257/80Y02C10/06C07C29/76C07C29/80C07C31/12Y02P20/152Y02P70/34Y02C20/40Y02P20/151Y02P70/10
Inventor GRADY, MICHAEL CHARLESPARTEN, WILLIAM D.SYLVESTER, ROBERT W.ZAHER, JOSEPH J.
Owner GEVO INC
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